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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23974060">let me photograph you in this light (in case it is the last time)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CanaryWarrior/pseuds/CanaryWarrior'>CanaryWarrior</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>MacGyver (TV 2016)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Brooklyn 99 quote, Desi is bi in canon, F/M, Gen, Mac's scenes are all angsty, Riley and Nikki are both bi, Riley and Nikki are the hacker duo we deserve, Riley and Nikki become friends, Riley fakes her death, Waited 4 years for MacRiley, because in this house women support women</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 18:14:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,588</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23974060</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CanaryWarrior/pseuds/CanaryWarrior</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Mac gives into his dark side and joins Codex. The rest of the team, distraught and betrayed, have been trying for months to find him and the rest of Codex. They think of an idea to draw Mac out: faking Riley’s death.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Riley Davis &amp; Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016), Riley Davis &amp; Nikki Carpenter, Riley Davis/Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>132</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>let me photograph you in this light (in case it is the last time)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is going to be my last fic for a while, because of finals, but I may post the occasional drabble on Tumblr if inspiration hits. Thanks to everyone in the MacRiley group chat for always hyping me up! I hope you all enjoy this!<br/>Title from Adele’s ‘When We Were Young’</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Four months have passed since that faithful day- the day Mac defected from the Phoenix. He stole Tesla’s weapon and broke Scarlett, the redheaded Codex operative, out. Everyone was devastated and worked around the clock to find them. Unfortunately, they could not locate them.</p><p>Mac’s betrayal hurt everyone. Desi was heartbroken that her boyfriend betrayed them, and that he released a gas that knocked her and other agents out. She soldiered on, though, and managed to move on from her feelings. Russ felt betrayed and angry- he truly thought that he found a group of people he could trust. Matty was devastated but pushed her feelings down and continued to lead the Phoenix. Bozer was extremely upset that his best friend betrayed them for Codex. Riley probably had the worst reaction out of all of them, save Bozer. She was initially in denial, insisting that Mac was undercover, and he couldn’t tell them. She slowly gave up on that idea, but her feelings for him did not go away. Bozer and Desi, who both figured out that she had feelings for Mac, did their best to console her. Desi had no ill feelings toward Riley, as she suspected that Mac also returned the hacker’s feelings, but he didn’t even realize it. Desi let Riley move in with her, and they became closer friends. Riley was grateful that Desi existed.</p><p>The five of them were in the war room, contemplating their next steps.</p><p>“I’ve spent every waking moment hacking, but I just can’t seem to find them!” Riley exclaimed, frustrated.</p><p>“It’s not your fault, Riles,” Desi comforted her friend. The two had grown closer, and dare she say it, Riley was her best friend.</p><p>“Desi is right. Codex have been around for decades, they’re likely the cleverest criminal organization on the planet,” Russ said.</p><p>“So what do we do now?” Bozer asked. “We tried everything.”</p><p>They sat there in silence for a minute until Matty spoke up. “There is one thing we haven’t tried.” She had an indescribable look in her eyes.</p><p>“Which is?” Russ questioned.</p><p>“Drawing Mac out.”</p><p>Desi had an incredulous look on her face. “How? There’s no way he’ll deliberately seek us out.”</p><p>Matty sighed. “At the end of the day, we are a family and we love each other. Those feelings don’t just disappear.”</p><p>“And?” Bozer prompted.</p><p>“And, Mac must still care about us. So what if one of us died? Or, to be specific, what if one of us faked our death? He could come back, or at least slip up.” Matty explained.</p><p>“Woah, that’s gotta be some psychological warfare right there, Matty. Are you sure?” Bozer asked, incredulous. He knew that Mac would still care about them, but if he thought he lost yet another person? What would happen to him?</p><p>“Bozer’s right, Matty. You want us to do the same thing Nikki did to him?” Riley questioned.</p><p>“Who’s Nikki?” Desi asked, curiously.</p><p>Bozer answered, “Mac’s ex-girlfriend from a few years back. She was their tech support. She faked her death to work for the CIA. Mac was super torn up about her death, he went crazy. He was obsessed with her death. Then he found out she was alive when Riley first joined, and he became even more obsessed with finding her.”</p><p>“At first we thought she was a criminal before finding out she was with the CIA. We captured Thorton, our old boss who was a mole. She stayed with the CIA,” Riley finished. “Matty, do you really want us to do what Nikki did to Mac?”</p><p>Matty replied. “No, of course I don’t want to, but we’ve exhausted every other option. We have to try!”</p><p>Russ nodded. “I agree with Matty. We’re desperate at this point. If we can get to Mac, we can get to Codex.”</p><p>Desi nodded. “I’m in. It’s worth a shot.”</p><p>“I guess I’m in,” Riley agreed. If they could get Mac back, then it was worth it. She hated to cause him even more pain, but they needed him back. She needed him back.</p><p>Bozer nodded. “I am too. Question is, who’s death are we faking? I can make any place look like a crime scene.”</p><p>“Can’t be me, you all know how our relationship ended, plus you’ve known him longer than I have. He’ll be sad if I died, sure, but not enough to come out of hiding,” Desi explained. </p><p>“It can’t be me, Mac and I have only known each other for a few months. Bozer is the only one with the skillset needed to make everyone believe that someone died, so it can’t be him. We need Matty here running things and using her authority to talk to other high-ranking officials. So that leaves…” Russ trailed off, looking at Riley. Everyone else followed his actions, looking at the brunette hacker.</p><p>Riley immediately understood, and was quick to say, “No, no, it can’t be me. I can’t do what Nikki did to him.”</p><p>“Riley, please, this could be our only chance to get Mac back,” Matty said softly.</p><p>Riley knew they were right, but she couldn’t help but think. Would Mac really care if she died? Would it be enough for him to make a slip up or even come back? Did he even have any feelings for her, like Desi had claimed during one of their late-night conversations? Riley knew one thing, though- she would do anything to bring Mac back to the side of good, even die. “Okay, I’m in. What’s the plan?”</p><p>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>Mac was walking with Gwen in their headquarters. It was hidden deep in the forest, and nearly impossible to find. </p><p>“We have Tesla’s weapon, but we’ve made little progress on finding his other ones. However, one of our analysts did find something-“ Gwen was cut off.</p><p>“Hayes!” A Codex agent called out, staring at a computer screen.</p><p>Gwen and Mac walked over, interest piqued. “What is it?” Gwen asked.</p><p>“One of the Phoenix’s top agents died. Riley Davis,” the agent said getting straight to the point and moving out of the way so Mac and Gwen can look at the screen. Riley’s bright-eyed photograph was there, clear as day, along with the words ‘killed in action.’</p><p>Mac’s eyes widened and he felt a pain stab him in the heart. Riley was dead? No, she couldn’t be dead. She’s too stubborn and tough to die. Riley was never supposed to die! He was supposed to find her when this was all over, and tell her that he loves her, that he loved her all along, but only realized it now. He looked at her photo, with her curly hair and bright, beautiful smile. A smile that always brightened his day and lit up a room. A smile he’ll never see again. How did this happen? It was like the entire world faded away and only Mac and his grief was all that was left. He barely heard Gwen calling his name.</p><p>“Angus!” Gwen shook his shoulder. </p><p>Mac snapped out of his grief-filled haze and looked around, realizing that it was only him and his aunt in the room.</p><p>“I sent everyone out,” she explained, seeing his reaction. “I know that you two worked together for years. It’s understandable if you grieve for her, but you cannot let it cloud your judgment, Angus.” Gwen understood grief. She felt it deeply when the government took her sister from her and then her nephew. She had her nephew here with her now, and they will save the world together. Gwen did her research, she knew that Mac was close to Riley Davis. They even lived together for a while. She would not blame him for mourning the hacker, but she will not allow it to set their plan back.</p><p>Mac felt tears in his eyes. Who cares about judgment? Riley was gone. He hadn’t seen her since he defected from the Phoenix. He always thought that one day, he would see her again. He would apologize for leaving her and he would do anything to earn her forgiveness. He would’ve told her how he felt about her because she deserves to know the truth about his feelings for her. But that was all a fantasy. The reality is that Riley died, most likely believing that Mac hated her. That thought alone broke his heart into a million more pieces. </p><p>Mac joined Codex because he wanted to save the world. But what was the point when Riley, who was his world, was gone?</p><p>Gwen can see that her nephew’s mind was occupied with thoughts of his deceased friend. She took a closer look at Angus’s reaction to Riley’s death. There was a broken look in his eyes. He must’ve had feelings for her. Of course, she felt sympathy for her nephew, but Angus needed to focus. So, she said “Angus, why don’t you take a few days off? Clear your head and grieve. There’s no shame in doing that.”</p><p>Mac didn’t trust his voice. He was sure that if he opened his mouth, he’ll start to cry in the middle of headquarters. So, he nodded. Gwen bid him good night and Mac left and went to his new apartment.</p><p>He barely had time to lock his door before crumpling to the ground. Mac’s body shook with sobs while he put his head in his hands. All he could think about was Riley. She believed in him no matter what, and what did he do? He defected from the Phoenix. He should’ve stayed, he could’ve saved her. He would’ve done anything to save her. But it was too late for that. Riley died thinking he abandoned and betrayed her. She died not knowing how much Mac loved her. </p><p>Mac was never going to see her again. He was never going to her smile again. The look of accomplishment she would get after hacking into something, the little laugh she does when they survived something crazy, the heart to heart conversations, playing skeeball and her grin whenever she would beat him… he’ll never experience any of those things with her again.</p><p>Mac wished he could turn back time. He wouldn’t have joined Codex, he would’ve stayed with Riley. He would’ve done anything to save her, to protect her, to keep her alive. Now, it was too late. </p><p>God, he never felt this way before. He didn’t feel this way when he thought Nikki died, and he certainly didn’t feel so empty and depressed when his father died.</p><p>After crying on the floor for what seemed like an eternity, Mac took out his phone. It was a new one, so it couldn’t be tracked, but Mac made sure to save as many photos as possible. He found some with Riley and clicked on one. It was from Jack’s last mission. They took pictures together since they all got dressed up. Riley looked absolutely gorgeous with her sequenced dress. Mac remembered that Riley was poisoned. He was terrified, but he managed to save her. Unlike now, when he wasn’t even there to begin with. He stared at the picture of just him and Riley. They were laughing at something Bozer and Jack had said.</p><p>Oh, god, Bozer and Jack. How are they going to react? Bozer must be lost in his grief by now. But did Jack know? The Phoenix had no way of contacting Jack. What if he came back only to find that his daughter was dead?</p><p>Mac shook those thoughts out of his head. He couldn’t deal with any more painful thoughts. All he could think about was Riley, and how she won’t see another day again.</p><p>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>“Okay, so we changed Riley’s status to KIA, and Bozer created a very convincing set and used our forensic cameras to take photographs,” Matty summarized to Riley, Bozer, Desi, and Russ in the war room.</p><p>“Are we sure this will work? I have no doubt that Codex will try to make sure that this isn’t a lie,” Riley said.</p><p>“The only other person outside of the Phoenix who knows the truth is your mom, and I sent trusted operatives to look out for her in case any Codex agents try to find her. They won’t hear about it from anyone, but there is always a chance that they’ll figure it out,” Matty explained, worried. Codex was unpredictable, and they had great assets, including Mac.</p><p>“We know that Mac will grieve for you, Riley. But when his mind becomes clearer, he will likely investigate, especially after what Nikki Carpenter did all those years ago,” Russ explained. “He knows all about Phoenix’s contingency plans, including those that involve faking an agent’s death.”</p><p>Bozer spoke up. “So, he’ll realize the truth soon. I know Mac, and I was there when he thought Nikki died. There was no body then, and with Riley’s death, we included that there was no body recovered. He will look into this, it’s just a matter of time.”</p><p>“So that’s it? Our plan failed?” Desi asked. After all the effort and planning, that’s it?</p><p>“No, it won’t fail,” Matty said firmly. “Mac only knows Phoenix contingency plans. Which is why we called in someone else to help.” Matty went to the door and opened it. With perfect timing, Nikki Carpenter walked through the door, wearing a hood on her head.</p><p>“Nikki?” Bozer and Riley said simultaneously. Nikki closed the door behind her and walked back to the front of the war room with Matty to join the others. </p><p>“Hi, Bozer, Riley. It’s nice to see you two again.” Nikki turned to Russ and Desi. “It’s nice to meet you too. I’m so sorry for everything you’re all going through, especially with Mac. I’ll help you in any way I can.”</p><p>“Are we sure we can trust her?” Russ asked, his paranoia obvious.</p><p>“Yes, she has nothing to do with Codex, and she has CIA level experience with faking her death. And this is personal for her, too,” Matty responded in a steely tone. She could still see Russ’s hesitation, but ignored it. He was being extremely paranoid, but this was their best chance.</p><p>Riley sensed the tension and quickly changed the subject. “Thank you for coming all the way down here, Nikki. I appreciate it.”</p><p>Nikki gave a small smile to the pretty woman who replaced her. Even though Nikki only met her briefly, she liked Riley. She was loyal and intelligent, which made her fit right in here. And despite everything that happened between her and Mac, she still cared about him. She didn’t have any feelings for him anymore, she got over him years ago, but she still cared as a friend, as someone who shared part of his life with her. “Of course. Matty caught me up on everything earlier. Since Mac is bound to figure out that you’re not actually dead because he knows how Phoenix fakes agents’ deaths, I’m going to step in. He knows where all the Phoenix safehouses are. You can’t code for the Phoenix anymore and hide information, they’ll be able to identify your signature and they’ll know that you faked your death. Your security is very tight, and it will take Codex analysts day to crack them.”</p><p>Riley nodded in understanding. “Okay, so what exactly is the next phase of the plan?”</p><p>Nikki gave her a small grin. “You’ll move into an untraceable CIA safehouse with me. Codex won’t even think to look for you with a CIA agent, and as far as the CIA knows, it will be only me there, in hiding. You’ll still have access to tech, so you can track Mac, and I’ll help you with that. So, what do you say? Roommates?” </p><p>Riley returned the grin. “Roommates.”</p><p>From there, Riley shared temporary goodbyes with her Phoenix family. They would still stay in contact, but they won’t physically see each other. Riley hugged Desi last, who said “I hope this works.” </p><p>“It has to.”</p><p>And with that, Nikki lent Riley a hoodie and sunglasses to disguise herself while they went to the safehouse. They spoke during the journey and shared what they could about their respective organizations and lives. Nikki assured Riley that she got over Mac years ago, but she still cares about him as a friend, while Riley revealed her worry about him. They easily became friends during that car ride.</p><p>The hacker duo arrived at the safehouse, where everything was already set up. </p><p>“I’ll put some coffee on,” Nikki said. “Make yourself comfortable.”</p><p>Riley nodded and took off the sunglasses and hoodie. She placed her bag on the couch. “Hey, when you faked your death, did Mac forgive you?”</p><p>“Well he was very upset, but he understood that I had to do it. He’ll understand with you, too.”</p><p>Riley shook her head. “This is different. You had to fake your death because you needed to go undercover. I’m doing it so we can get Mac to slip up or even come back here.”</p><p>“From what I’ve heard about you and Mac, I have no doubt that he will forgive you. He’ll be glad that you’re alive first and foremost,” Nikki said with a teasing smile. “But after that… you’ll all have a lot of issues to work through. You’re his friend, his family. He’ll remember that.”</p><p>Riley nodded and smiled. “Thanks, Nikki. I can see why Mac loved you so much.”</p><p>“Likewise,” the blonde hacker grinned. “Hey, maybe when this is all over, we can go out for dinner sometime,” she asked nonchalantly.</p><p>Riley chuckled. “That sounds great, but…”</p><p>Nikki knew what she was thinking. “You’re in love with Mac.” At Riley’s surprised look, she chuckled. “It’s written all over your face Riley. Don’t worry about it,” the blonde assured her.</p><p>“Never thought I would be asked out by the ex of the guy I love,” Riley noted. “But then again, I never thought I would be in this situation.”</p><p>Nikki smiled. “With lives like ours, there’s a lot of unpredictability. And sometimes you just have to take a risk or a chance on something. In another life, I think you and I would’ve made a hot ass couple, though.”</p><p>“Agreed,” Riley genuinely smiled for the first time in months. “When this is over, maybe we can hang out? I’d like for us to still be friends.”</p><p>Nikki poured the coffee into two mugs. “Definitely. Us hackers need to stick together. Now, let’s get to work.” </p><p>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- </p><p>About five days of crying, staring mindlessly at the wall, and looking at pictures of Riley, Mac decided to try to find the place Riley died. He knew it would cause him more pain, but he had to see where the love of his life died. He had to see if she could have been saved if he was there.</p><p>Gwen had told him to take two weeks off, so he knew that nobody at Codex would be looking for him for a while.  One of the Codex analysts had sent him the file regarding Riley’s death that they got when they hacked into the Phoenix. Mac knew that leaving would put him at risk for being found, but that was the last thing he cared about. He needed to know more about Riley’s death.</p><p>With that, he got ready and walked out his door, making sure to stay hidden from other Codex operatives. He quickly found a car outside of Codex premises, hotwired it, and got in. Luckily, it had a full tank of gas. Mac would have to drive for a couple of hours before getting to busy L.A.</p><p>His head was filled with thoughts of Riley that he didn’t even think about hiding his face from security cameras.</p><p>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>Riley and Nikki were hard at work while video chatting with the Phoenix team.</p><p>“Guys, I found him!” Riley exclaimed, transferring the data to the big screen. A security camera had caught Mac, clear as day, on his way to them.</p><p>“Oh my god, it worked,” Desi said, surprised.</p><p>“Where is he headed? Is he alone” Matty asked, staying on task like the leader she is.</p><p>The two hackers found other security cameras that caught Mac. They marked these places as dots on the map on California to show the others.</p><p>“He’s headed to the place where we said Riley died,” Bozer realized.</p><p>“It looks like it’s only him. Does the place still look like a crime scene?” Nikki inqured, typing away on her laptop.</p><p>Russ nodded. “Yes, it does. We didn’t touch anything there. It still looks like Riley was killed in an explosion.”</p><p>Riley tutted, “I still can’t believe out of all the ways you chose to fake-kill me, you pick a bomb.”</p><p>“We needed to give Mac every reason to come back, and the fact that he can disarm a bomb with nothing but a paper clip would make him feel even more inclined to slip up, especially if he thought he could save her,” Russ explained. </p><p>“Seeing you with such a disturbing understanding of guilt-ridden minds is terrifying, Russ,” Nikki noted. “You definitively live up to your reputation, if not more.”</p><p>“Thank you very much.”</p><p>Bozer secretly agreed with Nikki. “But hey, you fake-died saving lives. Like, if Codex was Thanos, you would be Natasha Romanoff.”</p><p>That made Riley, Nikki, and Desi chuckle. “Thanks for that, Bozer. Does that make me the soul of this team, then?” Riley teased, while tracking Mac’s movements. </p><p>“Yup.” “Definitely.” “I think you are.” Bozer, Desi, and Matty responded.</p><p>Riley was touched. Even though she was compared to a character who was wrongfully killed off in a movie she was still bitter about, she was touched nonetheless. “Thank you, that means a lot. I guess that would make Desi Captain Marvel, since she’s always swooping in and saving our asses?”</p><p>“Hell yeah,” Bozer agreed, fist bumping Desi.</p><p>“I hate to interrupt this entertaining conversation, but we need a plan,” Russ interrupted. “I believe we should meet Mac there. We’ll have tac teams ready around the perimeter, and we will be inside the building.”</p><p>“But how will you know that he won’t be prepared like last time? That he won’t run and get away?” Desi asked, covering all the bases of the plan.</p><p>“Because Riley will be there. He won’t leave is she’s there,” Matty explained. “What’s Mac’s ETA?”</p><p>“Little less than two hours at the rate he’s driving at,” Nikki responded. Perhaps the blonde genius cared more about Riley than he let on? He’s driving like a crazy person.</p><p>Matty nodded. “Okay, that gives us just enough time to gather our teams. Tac teams will be hidden well. Bozer, Desi and Russ will meet Riley and Nikki at that building.”</p><p>Everyone nodded. “Got it.”</p><p>Desi looked at the screen. “See you there.” </p><p>Riley returned the sentiment and ended the call. “Okay, let’s go.”</p><p>Riley and Nikki packed their respective rigs and left. It was going to be one hell of a reunion.</p><p>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>Mac arrived at the building. He ignored the yellow crime tapes and moved under them. This was certainly the use of a bomb, Mac realized. Just by looking at what remained of the walls, all the burn marks…God, Riley died like this? She made sure everyone got out of the building, and then she was trapped? Her last act of selflessness and heroism was repaid with a fiery death? </p><p>Mac should’ve been here. He could’ve found the bomb and disarmed it before it went off. Riley would’ve been saved. Tears welled up in his eyes. It was his fault. He looked around the room. If he’d been there, maybe Riley would still be alive.</p><p>He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t even hear the footsteps behind him.</p><p>“Hello, Mac,” Riley’s voice said. </p><p>Mac turned so fast that he almost got whiplash. His eyes widened. Was this real?  “Riley?” He asked, his feet glued to the floor. </p><p>“Yeah, it’s me,” the beautiful and very alive hacker said. She took a step closer to Mac.</p><p>Mac’s resolve broke. He ran over to her and wrapped his arms around her. He held her tightly with tears streaming down his face. Riley was here, she was alive. He didn’t lose her. Of course, his subconscious wondered why she faked her death, but he pushed that thought away. All that mattered to him was that Riley was alive, safe, and healthy.</p><p>Riley was surprised that Mac instantly went for a hug, but she reciprocated quickly. God, she missed his hugs. She missed him. She heard him quietly crying in the crook of her neck. She hated that she caused him pain, but at the same time, she was glad to see that he was still the same old emotional Mac. When Mac loved someone, he loves them with every fiber of his being. Riley was glad that he was still like that.</p><p>Mac held her for about five minutes before pulling away. He softly touched her face and was glad that she didn’t recoil from his touch. “Riley… how, why?”</p><p>“I’m sorry, Mac, I didn’t want to cause you any pain, but we had to get you back,” Riley confessed softly. She didn’t expect him to be so torn up about her, in all honesty.</p><p>Mac was a bit confused. “We?”</p><p>“She means us,” Desi said, coming out of the shadows with Bozer, Russ, and Nikki. Russ had his gun pointed at Mac, just in case.</p><p>“Nikki? What- what’s going on?” Mac asked incredulously. What was Nikki doing here?  He turned to Riley. “Riles?”</p><p>“It wasn’t my idea,” Riley began.</p><p>“What wasn’t?” Mac questioned.</p><p>“Faking Riley’s death to draw you out. This building is the work of Bozer, and Nikki here was kind enough to help us, given her experience,” Russ explained smoothly. </p><p>Mac was shocked. “Is that true?” He asked Riley.</p><p>Riley nodded. “I’m sorry, Mac, but we needed to get you back and this was a last resort.”</p><p>“Mac, you need to come with us. We have the perimeter surrounded and we know you came alone,” Desi spoke up.</p><p>“What? I-“</p><p>“Mac, please,” Riley pleaded, tears in her eyes.</p><p>Mac looked at the teary-eyed hacker who he loved. As soon as she said those words, he knew that he couldn’t deny her that one request. Besides, there is no way he was going to leave Riley again.</p><p>“Okay,” he said quietly. Russ and Desi led him to a car and put him into the backseat. Desi sat next to him in case he tried to escape. Russ drove while Bozer sat shotgun. Riley and Nikki would follow in the car behind them, with the tac teams.</p><p>Back at the Phoenix, Mac was waiting in an interrogation room. He was silent during the entire ride over, and remained silent while he was waiting. Russ and Matty entered the room.</p><p>“Where’s Riley?” was the first thing out of Mac’s mouth.</p><p>Matty smiled to herself when she heard Mac’s question. There was certainly hope for him yet. “Riley is fine, and we’re not here to talk about her.”</p><p>“Why her? Why did you choose to fake her death?” Why put him through the worst pain of his life? </p><p>“Because you love her, Mac. Everyone here knew that except for Riley,” Matty explained. Mac’s expression was heartbreaking, but Matty did not look away.</p><p>“Listen, Angus, we have a deal to offer you. If you tell us where Codex is and help us take them down, then this goes away. You will be able to return to work here with us, with Riley,” Russ added for extra measure.</p><p>“Deal,” Mac agreed quickly. He just wanted to get out of here and see Riley. Tell her that he never meant to hurt her. Tell her that he loves her. But wait- did she even feel the same way?</p><p>Ignorant of Mac’s inner turmoil, Russ commented “Huh, well that was easier than I thought. Okay, just tell us what you know and then you can go.” Russ was glad that Mac was back with his family. Now, they can finally take Codex down.</p><p>Mac told them everything he knew. Matty and Russ left, presumably to figure out a plan, while Mac walked down the Phoenix hallways looking for Riley.</p><p>“Hey, Mac!” Nikki called out. Mac stopped to allow Nikki to catch up on him. “It’s been a while.”</p><p>“Yeah, almost four years,” Mas responded. “What are you doing here?”</p><p>“Matty reached out to me and asked me for my help. She figured that you knew all of the Phoenix contingency plans involving faking a death, but you didn’t know anything about the CIA’s plans,” Nikki explained.</p><p>Mac nodded. That made sense. </p><p>Nikki continued. “So I helped Riley and stayed with her. We became pretty close. I’m gonna miss her.”</p><p>“You’re not going to stick around?” Mac asked curiously. </p><p>“No, I have an assignment in two days. I gotta prep for it. I already said good bye to the others, but I wanted to see you before I left.”</p><p>“Okay. What did you want to tell me?” Mac knew that look, the look Nikki had when she wanted to say something to him.</p><p>“I can see why you love Riley so much. Why you drove all the way to where she supposedly died, how you easily surrendered just because she asked you… You really do love her. Don’t mess this up again, Mac. Don’t hurt her,” Nikki warned.</p><p>“I will never leave her again. And yes, I love her, so much, but after everything I’ve done, I doubt she feels the same way,” Mac confessed, sadness evident in his blue eyes. </p><p>Nikki was surprised. “Seriously? Mac, she does feel the same way about you. She was really torn up about you, from what I heard from Bozer and Desi. Besides, she told me so herself when I asked her out.”</p><p>Mac’s eyes widened. Riley felt the same way? She loved him too? Even after all this time? And then he realized what Nikki said at the end. “Wait, you asked her out?” Mac asked, with a hint of jealously. His ex-girlfriend asked out the woman he was in love with? His pretty, smart ex-girlfriend who probably did have a chance with Riley? What did Riley say?</p><p>Nikki chuckled. “Yes, I did. She was too in love with you to say yes, so we decided to be friends, which I’m happy about. Oh, don’t look at me like that, we both know she’s great.”</p><p>Nikki was right, Mac thought. Riley was great, she was incredible. She still loved him after everything.</p><p>“She’s in the war room right now. Good luck,” Nikki said, patting Mac on the shoulder before leaving in the opposite direction. </p><p>Mac heeded her words and made his way to the war room. He stood by the door, watching Riley type something on her laptop. She was here, alive, Mac thought in wonder. “Hey,” he said softly, to not startle her.</p><p>Riley looked up. “Hey. So you took the deal.”</p><p>“Of course I did. It was a mistake to leave and join Codex,” Mac said, closing the door behind him and walking toward Riley.</p><p>Riley stood up. “Well, I’m glad you’re back. And I wanted to say I’m sorry. I know you went through a lot when Nikki faked her death and-“</p><p>“Don’t apologize, Riley. I’m just glad that you’re alive.” Mac took a deep breath. “When I thought you were dead, I was a mess. I locked myself in my apartment crying while looking at pictures of you. I regretted leaving. When I saw that a bomb had killed you… I felt so guilty. I could’ve disarmed it if I had been there for you, but I wasn’t there. I regretted leaving you. I regretted not telling you that I love you.”</p><p>Riley’s breath hitched. “What? You love me?”</p><p>Mac nodded. “Yeah. I think I loved you all along, but I didn’t realize until after I left. I understand if you don’t feel the same way, I don’t expect you to, but-“</p><p>“Mac,” Riley cut him off. “I love you too.”</p><p>Mac looked at Riley and felt a smile form on his face for the first time in months. Riley wrapped her arms around him, and Mac reciprocated. God, he thought he would never get to hug her again. They both pulled away, only to lean in again and kiss. Mac never thought it was possible to feel this much happiness.</p><p>Riley’s heart exploded with love and happiness when Mac’s lips touched hers. After four months of not seeing him, he was here. He was back with his family, and back with her.</p><p>After what seemed like an eternity, they pulled away, both smiling.</p><p>Mac’s expression turned soft. “I thought I would never see that smile again.”</p><p>“I’m sorry, Mac, I didn’t want to cause you any pain.”</p><p>“I told you, you have nothing to apologize for, I do. I’m sorry that I left. I should’ve stayed. And I promise you, I will never leave you again.” Mac said sincerely. </p><p>“It’s okay, Mac. You’re back, with us, with me, and that’s what matters now,” Riley said softly, grabbing Mac’s hand.</p><p>“I love you so much.”</p><p>“I love you too.”</p><p>Mac and Riley wrapped their arms around each other once more. They found their way back to each other, and somehow, it was worth all the pain if it meant holding each other in their arms. Mac and Riley belonged together, and now both of them knew.</p>
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